Sport

Pembroke County Cricket Club AGM notice

Published

8 years ago

January 24, 2018

By Jonathan Twigg

NOTIFICATION has been distributed by the Pembroke County Cricket Club giving notification of their Annual General Meeting at Haverfordwest Cricket Club on Wednesday (Feb 28).

In the notification it asks for notices of motions to be received by the Hon Secretary Steve Blowes by the end of January.

There is also a vacancy on the County Executive and Finance Committee for one new member as Andrew Miller [Neyland] has stood down, like Richard Harries [Cresselly] who has relinquished his position from the Senior Selection Committee.

The County Executive and Finance Committee is represented by 12 different Clubs, half of the number playing in the Pembrokeshie League next season.

President for the third year will be Nick Evans [Narberth], who joined the County Executive committee in 1991, two years after the oldest serving member of the committee and his predecessor as President, Dai Morris [unattached].

After Richard Scriven [Haverfordwest] was co-opted onto the committee mid season, Haverfordwest have three members Llechryd two, with representation from Cresselly, Pembroke Dock, Whitland, Kilgetty, Stackpole and Neyland.

The committee has on it three members with an association to the Pembrokeshire Junior Regional Council, whilst no fewer than ten have a link to the Pembrokeshire Association Cricket Umpires.

The Senior Selection committee is made up of the current President Nick Evans, former President Dai Morris, former Chairman Tony Scourfield [Carew] and current Vice Chairman Richard Merriman [Kilgetty].

Pembrokeshire cricket last season came into the limelight when a Disciplinary committee found Carew and their Captain Brian Hall guilty of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ following their controversial declaration on the last game of the season that allowed them to win the Pembroke league title.

Hall has been banned for 12 months, with a reprieve from the end of June and his Club relegated to Division 2 and fined £300.

Carew did not technically break any rules, but complaints were received and a four-man County Club disciplinary committee invoked the penalty. This opened a wide debate in the cricket fraternity and there is an expectation that rule changes will be proposed as a result of last seasons shenanigans.

There is also rumour that the rule on restricting players eligibility to participate in the Pembrokeshire League will be removed. It came into being in 2001 after Lamphey cricketer Dave served a writ against the County Cricket club as he deemed the judgement by a disciplinary committee, which banned him from playing as unfair. It turned out to be an unhallowed mess ending with Barristers in the High Court, that kept Pembrokeshire cricket in the news for all the wrong reasons.

The resultant change in rules not only put paid to professional cricketers gracing the fields of Pembrokeshire, it also undoubtedly lessened the standard within the local game. Lamphey, where Lovell played, were trail blazers in enticing ‘paid’ cricketers to their club with Drakes causing more than a storm in a tea cup as the village side from outside Pembrokeshire played him in Division 4 of the local league, against many second XI’s.

‘It’s just not cricket’ was the cry, but the games were played and with them the controversy ensued although Drakes was a gentleman, both on and off the pitch. He was paid to bowl quick, which he did for four seasons with the ‘Stags’ before playing first class cricket for Sussex, Warwickshire and Leicestershire as well as many International appearances.

After Drakes’ departure the Club was also fortunate to acquire the services of ‘imports’, West Indian [Tyrone Greenway], South African [Neil Warren] and Australians [Bret Johnson, Dave Lovell & Geoff Cullen] to represent the Club. One such player, Brendan Nash, who despite being born in Australia played for the international cricket for the West Indies, as it was his father’s birthplace.

Pembrokeshire’s finest again cried loudly that Lamphey ‘were spoiling local cricket’ or even ‘ruining the game for others’ and some women were even spotted waving wads of money in the direction of Lamphey players when hollering abuse. Pembroke County Cricket Club responded to the dislike of Lamphey and their foreign policy by changing their rules on ‘eligibility’ to play in the league’ preventing a Club or an individual paying them to play.

It was changed to stop Lamphey, a small village on the outskirts of Pembroke through their ‘Godfather’ John Green from ruffling the feathers. League winners of Division 4 in 1992, moving through Division 3 as champions the following year and taking three years to reach the top echelon.

Have times changed or is it just the club name which has now invoked the possibility of a rule change?

Up Next

Wanderers walloping of Crymych marred after fracas

Don't Miss

Legend ‘Hawaii 501’ Wayne Mardle to throw his darts in Haverfordwest

News

Haverfordwest County AFC faces High Court winding-up threat from HMRC

Published

43 minutes ago

April 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Chairman says issue has been dealt with, but winding-up notice is still listed ahead of High Court hearing

HAVERFORDWEST County AFC is facing serious questions after an HM Revenue and Customs winding-up petition against the company behind the club remained live on The London Gazette website despite the chairman insisting the matter has already been dealt with.

The petition against Haverfordwest County A.F.C. Ltd was presented on February 23 and is listed to be heard at the High Court in London on Wednesday, April 15 at 10:30am. The public notice states that HMRC is seeking to wind up the company, registered at Bridge Meadow Stadium, Bridge Meadow Lane, Haverfordwest, claiming to be a creditor.

***Haverfordwest’s Chairman and Director: Rob Edwards***

Any person intending to support or oppose the petition must give notice by 4:00pm on April 14. At the time of publication, the notice remained publicly visible and there was nothing on the Gazette entry to show that it had been withdrawn, dismissed or otherwise disposed of.

After being contacted by The Herald, chairman Rob Edwards said the case was “a non-story” and claimed it related to “a VAT offset against PAYE that wasn’t recorded”. He said the issue had been rectified “some time ago”, that the club had no debt to HMRC, and that HMRC had already provided a petition to withdraw to the court.

However, HMRC did not confirm that when approached by The Herald. Instead, a spokesperson gave only a general statement, saying: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we’ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers’ money.”

That leaves an obvious gap between the chairman’s account and the public record. If Edwards is right, the matter may already be in the process of being withdrawn. But until the court or Gazette record is updated, the petition remains live in public and continues to list a High Court hearing next week.

Even if the matter is ultimately withdrawn, the fact it progressed to the stage of a published HMRC winding-up petition is likely to raise concern among supporters, sponsors and creditors. A petition of this kind is a serious insolvency step, not a routine administrative query. If it were to proceed and succeed, the company could face compulsory liquidation.

The issue is especially striking because the club has recently spoken publicly about growth, investment and longer-term ambition. In January, Haverfordwest said it was in the latter stages of an exclusivity agreement relating to significant investment from a US-based fund. Earlier statements had also referred to outside backing, ambitions to move towards full-time football, and a wider business vision around the club.

Those statements painted a picture of momentum and expansion. The emergence of a live HMRC petition, whatever the eventual explanation, is therefore bound to prompt scrutiny of the club’s financial management and internal controls.

Questions are also likely to be asked about Rob Edwards’ wider business interests beyond west Wales. Recent coverage has linked him and Morley Sports Management to ventures in the United States, underlining the scale of the broader commercial ambition surrounding Haverfordwest’s rise.

For supporters, sponsors, staff and creditors, the immediate question is whether the matter will be formally withdrawn or whether the public court record will remain unchanged until the hearing date. Until that becomes clear, one of Welsh football’s most talked-about recent success stories is facing a deeply serious test off the pitch.

Sport

Haverfordwest County Under-13 girls shine at final FAW festival

Published

2 days ago

April 5, 2026

Herald Sport

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY AFC Women and Girls have praised their under-13s after another strong showing at the third and final FAW Festival of the season.

The young Bluebirds travelled to Colliers Park in Wrexham on Saturday (Apr 4), where they once again impressed with their performances.

Club officials said the girls had performed fantastically well throughout the season, adding that everyone at Haverfordwest County was incredibly proud of their efforts.

The squad for the day was Libby O, Ela I, Ines M, Mila E, Scarlett C, Rachel B, Lydia H, Lilly M, Zara E, Leila P and Lillie EJ.

Well done girls.

Sport

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls: Friendly League week 22 results

Published

2 days ago

April 5, 2026

Herald Sport

RESULTS from week 22 of the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association Friendly League have been confirmed, with Badgers recording a comprehensive 10-0 win over Lamphey and St Twynnells edging past Cosheston 6-4.

An earlier fixture also saw Cosheston claim a 10-0 victory over Reynalton.

Several matches were postponed during the week, including Kilgetty v Carew, Llanteg v St Twynnells and Hundleton v East Williamston.

St Johns had the bye.

Latest results:
Cosheston 4 St Twynnells 6
Badgers 10 Lamphey 0
Cosheston 10 Reynalton 0

League table after week 22:
East Williamston — Played 19, Won 13, Drawn 0, Lost 6, Shot difference 169, Points 126
St Johns — Played 20, Won 12, Drawn 1, Lost 7, Shot difference 132, Points 118
Reynalton — Played 20, Won 8, Drawn 2, Lost 10, Shot difference 24, Points 99
St Twynnells — Played 19, Won 10, Drawn 2, Lost 7, Shot difference 9, Points 99
Carew — Played 19, Won 10, Drawn 0, Lost 9, Shot difference -12, Points 98
Hundleton — Played 19, Won 10, Drawn 1, Lost 8, Shot difference -7, Points 97
Llanteg — Played 18, Won 10, Drawn 0, Lost 8, Shot difference -16, Points 95
Badgers — Played 20, Won 7, Drawn 1, Lost 12, Shot difference -104, Points 89
Cosheston — Played 19, Won 7, Drawn 2, Lost 10, Shot difference -39, Points 88
Lamphey — Played 20, Won 9, Drawn 0, Lost 11, Shot difference -71, Points 80
Kilgetty — Played 19, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 12, Shot difference -85, Points 73

League officials have reminded clubs that all outstanding matches must be completed by midnight on Sunday, April 19, 2026.